Pieces of me.

spiritualinspiration: 10 Great Quotes from Francis Chan We say...

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:01:11 -0400

10 Great Quotes from Francis Chan

We say things like, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Then we live and plan like we don’t believe God even exists. We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn’t come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God’s fidelity to His promises.

Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.

If life were stable, I’d never need God’s help. Since it’s not, I reach out for Him regularly. I am thankful for the unknowns and that I don’t have control, because it makes me run to God.

We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it, actually. Now, I’m not saying it is wrong to pray for God’s protection, but I am questioning how we’ve made safety our highest priority. We’ve elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God’s best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world.

Christians today like to play it safe. We want to put ourselves in situations where we are safe “even if there is no God.” But if we truly desire to please God, we cannot live that way. We have to do things that cost us during our life on earth but will be more than worth it in eternity.

To be brutally honest, it doesn’t really matter what place you find yourself in right now. Your part is to bring Him glory—whether eating a sandwich on a lunch break, drinking coffee at 12:04 a.m. so you can stay awake to study, or watching your four-month-old take a nap. The point of your life is to point to Him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. It is His movie, His world, His gift.

This is the God we serve, the God who knew us before He made us. The God who promises to remain with us and rescue us. The God who loves us and longs for us to love Him back.

God has allowed hard things in your life so you can show the world that your God is great and that knowing Him brings peace and joy, even when life is hard.

A friend of mine once said that Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly.

It is easy to become disillusioned with the circumstances of our lives compared to others’. But in the presence of God, He gives us a deeper peace and joy that transcends it all.

Photo

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:22:27 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:21:29 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

This was definitely helpful when I found out my dad left the...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:20:14 -0400

This was definitely helpful when I found out my dad left the family. Praising God with Toby Mac was awesome!

Photo

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:25:55 -0400

Photo

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:24:43 -0400

Photo

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:22:59 -0400

Photo

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:21:30 -0400

spiritualinspiration: No matter what may be happening in the...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:20:55 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

No matter what may be happening in the world around you, you can always find something to thank God for. Gratitude is a powerful force that opens the door to God’s blessing. Having constant gratitude proves your faith in God because not only do you thank Him for what He has done in the past, you thank Him for what He will do in the future. It’s that kind of faith that pleases God. Constant gratitude also shows humility because when we are thankful, we magnify God instead of magnifying our problems. It gives us proper perspective and opens the door for God’s grace, favor and supernatural empowerment.

So what are you grateful for today? Are you grateful for the sun that shines and brings a new day? Are you thankful for the gift of eternal life? As you choose an attitude of constant gratitude, you’ll experience His mercy and loving kindness in greater ways. You’ll be filled with His peace and joy and pave the way to move forward into the abundant life He has prepared for you!

Photo

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:19:45 -0400

spiritualinspiration: “Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:16:27 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring” (Hosea 6:3).

God promises that He is near to those who call upon His name. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re going through; He is your deliverer. He’ll bring light into your darkest hour; He’ll bring rain into the dry places; He’ll bring restoration and healing to the broken places. When you call on His name, you can be assured that He will respond. As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, God will faithfully respond when you seek Him.

Sometimes, people think they have to clean themselves up or change their behavior or habits before they can turn to Him, but that’s not what God says. He is ready to receive you just as you are. Even if you feel like a mess, He’ll take your mess and turn it into a message. His arms are open wide today. Open your heart and call upon Him. Press on to know Him and His goodness.

Photo

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:07:47 -0400

spiritualinspiration: Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:21:27 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

spiritualinspiration: The Lord will fight for you, and you...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:18:20 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. (Exodus 14:14, AMP.)

In life, we’re always going to have critics. We’ll always have difficult people who try to upset us and steal our peace and joy. But, you don’t have to respond to every critic. You can decide to take the high road and let God fight your battles for you.

Sometimes, no matter what you say or do, there are people who aren’t going to accept you. They just don’t want to be at peace with you. In fact, when Jesus sent out His disciples to certain homes, He told them to always speak peace over those homes. And then He said in effect, “If they don’t receive the peace that you’re offering, then it will come back to you.” That tells me that if you will do your best to be at peace with people, even if they won’t take your peace, that peace will just come back to you. You’ll not only get your peace, but you’ll get their share as well! That’s double for your trouble! When you do the right thing no matter what is happening, God sees it and rewards it.

spiritualinspiration: For the Son of Man came to seek and to...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:17:12 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

Jesus didn’t come to please the religious crowd. Jesus didn’t come to pander to the social crowd. Instead, Jesus entered the world to save sinners. When we look back over the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus reach out to men and women, young and old, powerful and forgotten, demon possessed, and the politically connected. He came to save sinners of all shapes, sizes, and stripes. He came to save you and me.

spiritualinspiration: We all face situations in life that feel...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:14:58 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

We all face situations in life that feel out of control. During times like these, it’s easy to get discouraged and allow fear to creep in; but instead, why don’t you focus on the fact that God is holding you in the palm of His hand! There is nothing too difficult for Him; nothing’s impossible; nothing is beyond His ability. When God holds you in His hand, you are safe; you are cared for. In His hand, there is victory. In His hand, there is strength. In His hand, there is provision. In His hand is everything you need.

No matter what you may be going through today, you can trust that God is for you. Instead of getting down and depressed over your circumstances, look up and get a vision of God turning that situation around. Let faith arise in your heart and focus on His favor, promotion and blessing. As you keep your heart and mind focused on Him and choose to obey His Word, you’ll see those supernatural breaks that will launch you further ahead than you ever thought possible because He holds you with His victorious right hand!

spiritualinspiration: Too often, people spend so much time and...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:07:25 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

Too often, people spend so much time and energy dwelling on the past, dwelling on mistakes, or dwelling on disappointments. They don’t even realize that their focus is keeping them from moving forward in life. But in order to fully experience God’s blessings, you have to let go of those past hurts; you have to forget the former things to make room for the new.

God has a new beginning in store for you, and the way you prepare for it is by getting rid of the old. Don’t spend time focusing on where you’ve been; spend time focusing on where you’re going. When you “forget the former things,” it means you’re not worried about the past anymore. You don’t allow it to dictate your future. You may remember past events, but you don’t feel the pain like you used to. You’ve opened your heart to receive God’s healing. Begin today by declaring that your past is over! Forget the former things and receive the restoration and victory God has in store for you!

spiritualinspiration: Come to Me, all you who labor and are...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:06:13 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your soul.” (Matthew 11:28 AMP).

Does your soul need refreshing today? Then come to the Father. Are you overburdened by the cares of this world? Are you facing challenges in your relationships? Finances? Career? The Father wants to refresh you. He wants to cause you to rest. Think about that for a moment. What would cause you to rest? If you knew everything was going to work out for your good, you would stop worrying. You would rest! Even if things don’t work out the way you planned, or on your timetable, you can trust that God will turn things around in your favor. When you submit your life to Him, by the blood of Jesus, and truly make Him Lord and Ruler of every area of your life, you will find rest for your soul! Come to the Father today in prayer and with thanksgiving. Thank Him right now for taking your burdens and giving you peace. Thank Him for loving you today and giving you new life. Thank Him for His faithfulness. Go out today with an attitude of faith and expectancy because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf—and you can come to Him!

spiritualinspiration: Give thanks in all circumstances, for...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:03:34 -0400

spiritualinspiration:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV.

Are you giving thanks in every circumstance? This might seem like a stretch at first, especially when you are going through a season of difficulty. But notice today’s verse doesn’t say to give thanks “for” everything, it says give thanks “in” everything. In other words, no matter what’s going on, find something to be thankful for. Don’t just focus on what’s wrong in your life; focus on what God will do in your life.

When you are thankful, it opens the door for God to move on your behalf. That’s why it says “this is God’s will for you.” He wants you to be close to Him to receive His strength and power by giving thanks. That’s why we should always have the attitude that says, “God, in spite of what’s happened, I choose to be grateful. I may be sick, but Father, thank You for being my healer. Thank you for giving me great friends and family.” Or, “I may be struggling in my marriage, but God, thank You for being my restorer. Thank You for giving me another sunrise.” As you give thanks in everything, you will see God’s hand move mightily on your behalf, and you’ll come out of that difficulty better, stronger and wiser than before.

Photo

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:01:59 -0400